Figured You Out
by MadFox32
Summary: After years of running after Edgeworth, Phoenix isn't entirely clueless when it comes to making him happy. Written for Zelinxia on Tumblr.


This story was written for Zelinxia on Tumblr. I hope you enjoy, Xia!

* * *

Athena had always loved Christmas. The agency shone like a lightbulb, wrapped with 3,000 twinkling lights and some glittery garlands. She'd also hung a few garlands of popcorn, which her boss was currently enjoying.

"Don't eat the Christmas cheer!" Athena protested as Phoenix plucked a piece of popcorn off the string.

"I'm just trying to fill myself with it," he replied. "You've wanted me to get in the Christmas spirit since October."

"That doesn't mean you should eat it!"

Athena sighed. Her boss had never been a holiday sort of guy, which baffled her. At least Apollo had an excuse, growing up in a foreign country.

Someone started knocking on the door. "Is that a client?!" Athena exclaimed. She swung open the door.

Blackquill shielded his eyes. "Incorrect, Cykes-dono."

Athena groaned. "All right, Scrooge. Go ahead and come in. You're in good company; the grinch is right over there."

Phoenix waved.

"Are you trying to blind your clients?"

"No! We're just a beacon of light for those who need a Christmas miracle!"

"I'd advise leaving a pair of sunglasses at the door," Blackquill grumbled.

"Oh, bah humbug. What are you here for, if you aren't a client?"

"I came to ask Wright-dono for a bit of advice."

"Advice?" Phoenix asked, standing up from the couch. "What kind?"

"We're doing a gift exchange at the Prosecutor's Office, and I drew Edgeworth-dono's name."

"Good luck with that one," Phoenix chuckled. "I never know what to get him."

"But boss! You're _dating,"_ Athena pointed out.

"I know, that makes it even harder. I can't even buy him a bottle of wine and call it a day anymore," he complained.

"So have I come to the wrong place?" Blackquill asked.

"No. I'm your best bet for an Edgeworth research database. And I won't whip you like other Edgeworth scholars I know." He winced.

"Then what would you suggest?" Blackquill fiddled with the feather in his mouth.

He thought for a moment. "Tea is always a safe bet with him. So is anything he can spoil Pess with."

"Pess?"

"His dog. Oh, and he loves the Steel Samurai too-"

"That kid's show Maya likes?" Athena's jaw dropped.

"Yeah, that's the one. Everyone likes to feel like a kid sometimes, though he'll tell you he watches it for the intricate relationships between the characters and the beautifully laid-out plot." He chuckled. "I wouldn't recommend buying anything that suggests you _know_ he likes the Steel Samurai, though. They're coming out with a new movie, so you could get him a gift card for a movie theater."

"This has been quite informative." Simon nodded. "I suppose I'll be taking my leave, then. Thank you for your assistance, Wright-dono."

"Already?"

"I don't have time for idle chatter. I'm only allotted one lunch break."

"Aww, fine. Merry Christmas!" Athena considered hugging him, but she figured she would stop while she was ahead.

"Merry Christmas to you, too." Blackquill closed the door.

"He actually wished me a Merry Christmas!" Athena whispered, eyes glittering.

Phoenix snickered. "Well, I guess it's back to work, then."

"Wait! Boss, what are you getting him?" Athena pried. This was too interesting to pass up, especially when toilet cleaning was probably the alternative.

Phoenix grinned. "You have to keep a secret."

"Boss, you know I can keep a secret!" Athena pouted.

"Oh, just like you kept Trucy's birthday present a secret?" Phoenix crossed his arms.

"She was about to buy it for herself! I couldn't let her do that!" Athena protested.

"Do you swear to secrecy under lawyer-client confidentiality?"

"Aww, you can't legally bind me to this!" Athena frowned.

"Then you'll have to be left in the mystery-"

"Fine," Athena said. "Just tell me."

"So back in the day, I defended Will Powers, the actor who plays the Steel Samurai, in a murder trial. So he agreed to put on a live-action play that hasn't been performed since before I got disbarred. The entire thing's a surprise, of course."

"That is _adorable_ ," Athena said with a small sigh. "Maybe you've got some Christmas spirit after all."

"Oh, neither Edgeworth or I ever really liked Christmas… That was around the time when his dad died and I never saw him again."

"Is _that_ why you don't like Christmas? Because of Edgeworth?" Athena asked.

Phoenix laughed. "You know, I've figured out by now that Edgeworth was my motive for a lot of things." His eyebrows furrowed. "But no, I never _disliked_ Christmas… It just wasn't magical for me like it was for everyone else. I knew bad things happened on Christmas, just like they do every other day."

"Oh… That's so sad. I always loved the idea of Christmas miracles."

"Here's something my old boss told me, Athena: Miracles do exist. But you have to make those miracles happen."

"Your old boss was really profound."

"She was." Phoenix smiled, and Athena noted he didn't sound all that sad. "Christmas was the day I took on Edgeworth's defense, you know. It split us apart and brought us back together again."

"So Christmas is the day where you made the miracle happen."

"Yeah." Phoenix smiled. "You can come, if you want to. To the Steel Samurai show."

"Really?"

"Sure. You could sit with Trucy so she doesn't have to sit with her dad." He smiled.

"Oh, you want to sit alone with him?"

"Yeah, exactly. But I'd need a good excuse not to sit with my kid."

"Well, you've got the right girl for the job!" Athena clapped her hand to her fist. "You can count on me!"

~O~

"Hey, Trucy. You can tie a bowtie, can't you?"

"Daddy, you look ridiculous in bowties."

"I don't want to dress up in the same way I do in court, though!"

"Wear your navy blue suit, then! It looks better anyway."

Phoenix put on his navy blue blazer and frowned. "It doesn't feel like me, though."

"I'm not asking you to gel your hair down or anything," Trucy said with a smile. "I just don't want you to look like a penguin on such an important day."

"But what if I want to look like a penguin? It's winter, they're festive."

"Well, it's too bad you can't tie a bowtie, then." She smirked.

Phoenix groaned. " _Fine_ , I'll put on the other suit."

"There we go!" Trucy smiled.

Phoenix stepped into his closet and stepped out looking a bit less gaudy than before.

"That looks _so good_ ," Trucy said with a smile.

"You're okay with this, right?"

"I just said the suit looks good."

"No, I mean… Tonight."

Trucy smiled. "Of course. You know I've been waiting for this for forever."

"Yeah, but… I just want to be sure."

"You are _not_ allowed to be stressed about this." She put her hand on her hip. "You're also not allowed to be late. I just called the taxi; it'll be here in five minutes. Are you ready?"

"I think so," he said nervously.

Trucy pulled a box out of the blue jacket he'd left on his bed and handed it to him. "Are you _sure_ you aren't forgetting anything?"

"Oh. Thanks." He took the box and put it in his pocket. "I… I think I'm okay."

"Good. Do you want the magatama back?"

"No," he said. "I trust him."

Trucy hugged her dad with enough power to crack a walnut. "I'm so happy for you."

"I'm happy for me, too."

~O~

Edgeworth straightened his jacket and popped a mint in his mouth. He doubted Phoenix would be on time, but it was good to be ready before 6:30 anyway.

To his surprise, Phoenix actually rang the doorbell at 6:28. It wasn't all that cold, but Edgeworth put on an overcoat anyway, knowing a "surprise date" with Phoenix could involve just about anything.

"Hey," Phoenix said when Edgeworth opened the door. "You ready?" Pess bounded up to the door to greet Phoenix, who rubbed the dog's head with a smile.

"The prosecution has been ready for a while now." He smirked.

"Of course, I should've known." Phoenix's eyes glittered as he smiled. "Come on, before Pess gets his hopes up."

Edgeworth locked the door behind him after saying a quick goodbye to his dog. Phoenix led him out to a taxi, and Edgeworth was surprised to find Trucy inside.

"Ah, that's why you were on time," he said, pointing to her.

"What, like I can't stay on time without her?" Phoenix acted as if he were hurt.

"That's precisely what I was implying."

Trucy was chatting enthusiastically with the taxi driver, who seemed to be rather sociable herself. Once their seatbelts were buckled, Phoenix decided to strike up a conversation.

"So, I heard the Prosecutor's office had a Secret Santa gift exchange. Was that your doing?"

"No, that was entirely Prosecutor Gavin's idea. I was surprised so many people signed up."

"I was surprised you signed up," Phoenix said.

"I didn't sign myself up. I suspect Kay did." He rolled his eyes. "But I was responsible for buying Prosecutor Debeste's gift, so I couldn't simply drop out."

They discussed this for a while, and Phoenix seemed to take a particular interest in what he had received from Blackquill; apparently he'd gone to Phoenix for advice. Blackquill had always been good at doing his research, and Edgeworth had enjoyed the tea he'd received.

They arrived at a theater Edgeworth hadn't been to before, which was strange. He knew almost all of the local venues. It was as if Phoenix were taking him to see some college students put on an improv comedy show.

"What, exactly, are we seeing?" Edgeworth asked.

"I love this theater. The shows are usually either brilliant or so badly done it's funny," the taxi driver said.

"We're hoping for the former," Phoenix joked.

When even Phoenix was prepared to be surprised by his own date, Edgeworth knew to brace himself for an adventure.

Phoenix paid the taxi driver and the three of them walked inside of the theater. It was much more beautiful than Edgeworth had anticipated- burgundy and gold lined the inside, and sculptures stood by the entrance.

"Tickets, please," someone said, and Phoenix handed him three. "Please enjoy the show."

Phoenix had reserved the best seats in the house, to his credit. They were seated a few rows from the front so they could see the expressions of everyone onstage comfortably.

"They didn't hand out a program," Edgeworth said.

"Weird," Phoenix said, grinning. He was obviously hiding something.

"Don't I have to deal with enough mystery at work?" Edgeworth asked.

"I promise you'll like this," Phoenix said. He pulled off his overcoat to reveal a navy blue suit underneath and placed it on his chair.

"You're wearing your nice suit." Edgeworth touched his sleeve gently.

Phoenix smiled. "I'm a poker player. I always know which suit I need."

Edgeworth glared at him and he laughed.

"Deal out any more puns like that and your opponent might forfeit," Trucy laughed.

"Hey, Trucy! I didn't know you were here," someone said.

"Good evening, Miss Cykes. And… Jupiter, was it?" Edgeworth asked.

"Juniper," she replied shyly.

"Do you want to sit with us?" Athena asked.

"I dunno, I have a pretty good seat," Trucy said.

"Do you really want to sit with your dad, though?" Athena asked, grinning.

"Huh… You have a point," Trucy said with a laugh.

"My daughter… Taken from me by my co-worker. I never thought this day would come," Phoenix said in mock grief.

She laughed. "Whatever, Daddy. You have your boyfriend to keep you company."

"True," Phoenix said, wrapping an arm around Edgeworth, who raised his eyebrows.

After a while, the lights dimmed and a girl walked out with a sword. "Any phone that goes off during this stage production will face capital punishment at my hand. Silence it now, before I do it for you."

"She looks like Cassara," Edgeworth said absentmindedly, turning off his phone. An orchestra began to play sharp notes, and Edgeworth's eyes widened. He turned to Phoenix, who smiled.

"When the moon is bright with a pale blue light and trouble is nearby..."

"That _was_ Cassara."

Phoenix kissed Edgeworth on the nose. "Love you."

Edgeworth wouldn't have stopped watching the show if there was an earthquake. The Pink Princess pulled no punches, a character just as real as the Steel Samurai himself. The Pink Princess and the Steel Samurai worked in perfect sync with one another, the Pink Princess taking down herds of lackeys as the Steel Samurai fought the Evil Magistrate. Phoenix had to duck out at one point, but Edgeworth hardly noticed, deeply engaged in the play.

When the play ended and the characters bowed onstage, Edgeworth couldn't believe it hadn't been real. There wasn't a single death that hadn't looked authentic, but no dead bodies lay onstage.

He looked next to him to find that Phoenix was gone. He looked around, eventually processing that Phoenix had gone to the bathroom a few minutes ago. Had he really been paying that little attention to his surroundings?

The Steel Samurai and the Pink Princess stepped onstage and the theater filled with applause, none louder than Edgeworth's. The cast all bowed at once, only to split in half to let someone walk down the middle. Everything grew quiet as the spotlight focused on him.

"It was this show," he began, "that taught me the love of my life wasn't a complete asshole." A roar of laughter went through the crowd as Edgeworth slowly realized it was _Phoenix_ onstage, and he was talking about _him_.

"It was this day," he continued, "that we were split apart by tragedy and, fifteen years later, brought back together by tragedy. And it was this day I realized he kinda meant everything to me. So I thought… That at this show, on this day… It would make sense that I ask him something."

He got down on one knee and pulled a box out of his pocket. "Miles Edgeworth… Will you marry me?"

Edgeworth walked down to the stage, hardly comprehending what he was doing. Standing right next to the stage, he met Phoenix's eye level. "I don't think I could get you out of my life if I tried."

"Is that a yes?" Phoenix asked, a smile forming.

"Yes," he said with a small laugh, holding up his hand.

Phoenix smiled brilliantly, slid the ring down his finger, and kissed him passionately. Edgeworth's head was swimming- lips, applause, spotlight, laughter- his own laughter. Phoenix started laughing too, bumping Edgeworth's glasses into the bridge of his nose. Pain, more laughter.

"Sorry," Phoenix said, pulling Edgeworth's glasses off and setting them beside him. They kissed again, but they couldn't stop laughing.

"What is so funny?" Edgeworth asked.

"I don't know," Phoenix replied. "It's just… My entire life has been about me trying to figure you out. And I've actually figured some stuff out. Like, other people come to me when they want to know about you." Phoenix laughed. "That doesn't sound funny when I say it out loud. Why were you laughing?"

"Because I thought I'd never be happy. And I thought the only way to feel happy was to get away from you." He laughed. "Now I'm happy _because_ I'm with you."

Edgeworth put his glasses back on so he could see Phoenix's eyes, which glimmered with delight. "So you aren't going to leave again?"

"We're getting married, Phoenix."

"I know!" He laughed. "You'll never be able to get rid of me!"

"I never could anyway." Edgeworth smiled. "Now get off the stage and kiss me normally before you hurt your back again."

"It's so nice to know you care." Phoenix got down to Edgeworth's eye level and took his glasses off. "See? I've got you figured out."

Edgeworth pulled Phoenix's head closer, and their lips took much longer to separate this time.


End file.
